This invention relates generally to odor masking ashtrays. More specifically, it relates to improvements in such ashtrays providing a compact aesthetically pleasing and effective device for that purpose.
To the applicant's knowledge there have been a number of attempts to provide effective odor masking ashtrays in the prior art. Those devices with which the applicant is familiar suffer the disadvantage of bulk and generally are not aesthetically satisfying. The latter element is a factor of some moment for an ashtray is, of course, in the nature of furnishing whether it be used in the home, office or in a public place. Typical of the devices which are bulky or somewhat massive is the ashtray shown in the U.S. Pat. to Ray, No. 2,029,192 which is in the form of a smoking stand and is therefore of some size occupying considerable space and requiring that a door in its side be opened for cleaning purposes. Another disadvantage of the Ray device is that the cigarette or whatever it may be is received at an open top so that there is no assurance that all of the smoke or objectionable odors will be drawn into the filtering arrangement shown. Another device with which the applicant is familiar is that shown in the U.S. Pat. to Fike, No. 3,807,148 which once again utilizes an ashtray with an open top and depends upon a moving air curtain to seal off the smoke and objectionable odors from the room. This device also requires that the smoke drawn off be itself recirculated to form the air curtain and it would seem that the life of the filter used would be considerably diminished as the result. Another example of an open top type ashtray is that shown in the U.S. Pat. to Weisskoph, No. 3,797,205 which depends upon a plurality of tubes through which air is being drawn to exhaust the smoke and odor. The U.S. Pat. to Gilbertson, No. 3,516,232 likewise uses essentially an open ashtray and depends upon a remote fan to draw the smoke and odor through the filtering arrangement.
The U.S. Pats. to Marsh, No. 3,733,168 and Warnock, No. 3,490,466 disclose the use of ashtrays combined with kerosene lamps positioned above the ashtray and depend upon the heat produced by a burning wick to draw the smoke and odor upwardly where they may be dissipated or filtered. Such a device of course requires that the kerosene be replenished and introduces the risk of a fire hazard so that they may be inappropriate for use in many locations.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a novel smoke filtering and odor masking ashtray which is effective to cause all of the smoke and objectionable odors to be drawn through a filtering arrangement and thereby trapped or masked.
It is another object of this invention to provide a novel smoke filtering and odor masking ashtray which can be manufactured as a relatively compact device and designed in a number of aesthetically satisfying ways.